1,700 Arrested, 600 Charged as Crackdown Continues on England Rioters

Police officers stand near a burnt out shop in Clapham Junction, in south London August 9, 2011. British Prime Minister David Cameron said he would recall parliament from its summer recess for a day on Thursday after rioting swept through London for three consecutive nights. Reuters/Stefan Wermuth

London police report that as of Friday, 600 people have been charged with involvement in the riots that have ravished several England cities.

With over 1,700 people arrested, courts in London, Birmingham and Manchester have remained opened for two nights so far in order to process alleged rioters.

During the riots, which started in London last Saturday and quickly spread to other cities over the course of four days, hundreds of stores were looted and buildings set on fire. Five people lost their lives among the chaos.

Among the alleged looters are an 11-year-old boy, a teenage ballerina, and a university English student.

Some who have been named are 24-year-old graduate student Natasha Reid, who turned herself in after feeling extreme guilt for stealing a TV from an electronics store during the riots. She faces jail time if convicted.

Chelsea Ives, 18, who was chosen to be volunteer ambassador for the Olympics next year, was turned in by her parents who witnessed her rioting on TV on Sunday. Ives is charged with burglary, violent disorder and throwing bricks at a police car.

A 22-year-old man has also been arrested on Friday on suspicion of murder, after a 68-year-old man who was attacked during the riots in London died on Thursday. The man was attempting to protect his neighborhood from looters.

Another man who was found on Monday in south London with gunshot wounds to the head has also died.

In response to criticism that there were too few responders once the riots began, there has been a significant increase in police presence in England.

Approximately 16,000 police officers were put on patrol in London on Tuesday and Prime Minister David Cameron says extra officers will remain on duty throughout the weekend.

Cameron admits that police were not completely prepared for the capacity of the violence.

"Far too few police were deployed onto the streets. And the tactics they were using weren't working," he said.

However, methods are currently being put in place to increase safety within the country. Other worldwide cities that have had to implement measures to tackle gangs such as Boston and New York are being referenced. Also William Bratton, who has served as police chief in New York, Boston and Los Angeles, announced on Friday that he is taking part in discussions with the British Parliament about becoming an adviser to help with increasing security measures in England.

Related

London has seen its worst rioting in years, as north London’s Tottenham neighborhood erupted in violence overnight with 500 rioters settings cars and buildings on fire. The riots, sparked by the shooting of a local man by police, also saw looting and policemen being attacked.

Though the Vancouver riot of June 15, 2011 is old news, I’m hopeful the window for timely analysis hasn’t shut yet. Obviously rioting isn’t new. Its been seen long before, in Canada and abroad, and will be seen long after. It appears timeless, but it doesn’t fit into an almanac.

The Vancouver riot that took place after the Canucks lost to the Boston Bruins in the Stanley Cup finals made international headlines, which brought shame to the supposedly "most livable city in the world." Many citizens expressed their shock and grief at what happened.